Death has been a recurring topic that has flooded my mind recently due to the loss of a friend from high school. She was 22, full of life and happiness, the world at her feet waiting to be discovered. Since her passing, I have wondered where she may be and what awaits us after our hearts cease to beat. I don't have the answer and I'm not sure that I ever will, but if there is some place out there for all of us when we cease to exist, then I hope it is peaceful and that my friend is there.

Dear Friend,

We haven't spoken is a few years, but that didn't mean that we ceased being friends. We met in middle school and I remember how you used to draw constantly, almost every day at lunch. Harry Potter characters were a favorite of yours; I can still picture your drawings of Hermione. As we grew older and entered high school, the awkwardness that we faced together began to fade as we began discovering who we were and where we intended to go. We had a couple of classes together, although the only ones that come to mind are teen living and discrete math. I suppose I remember those more because we sat next to each other and constantly talked during class. You drew me a sketch of the Mad Hatter in math class...I still have it. We hung out at prom and took awful pictures before we left; well, I looked awful, you, not so much. You came to some of my girl scout sleepovers and trips that we took. I still have the pictures that were taken of all of us acting silly and crazy.

You were one of the most unselfish, wonderfully kind, and generous people that I have ever known. You were always smiling and laughing, enjoying life as much as possible. Hearing that you were in a car accident was shocking and finding out that you were gone forever was unreal. I didn't want to believe it because I couldn't picture life leaving you and you no longer being here. I'm not sure if it was fate or just something that happened. Perhaps, it's both. Regardless of which it may be, it still hurts knowing that someone I grew up with and knew extremely well will no longer be walking the earth, breathing the air that sustains us, engaging in nerdy things, or posting on Facebook. It's hard to accept and I don't know that it will get any easier. I suppose that we just have to keep on living because life doesn't stop after we lose someone. We have to keep them in our hearts and minds and remember them while they were alive, how they were a part of our lives, and how they shaped us as people.

My dear friend, I miss you and I wish that I had more time with you. I hope that you are somewhere out there, some place good, and know that you are loved. You changed lives during your time here on earth and will continue to have an effect on others because of who you were. I hope to see you again if there is some kind of afterlife.

Rest Easy,

Leah